A man and woman who allegedly robbed a cellphone from a couple were nearly beaten to death by an angry crowd.

Alicia Martínez Bustamante, 20, and Gerardo Hernández García, 37, were attacked on Monday evening by neighbors of the San Andrés Totoltepec couple they allegedly stole the phone from.

Cellphone video, obtained by MVS Noticias, shows the couple cowering against a wall, surrounded by the 30-strong mob.

Martínez Bustamante (pictured to the left on both images with Gerardo Hernández García standing behind her) tries to fight off to fight off a group of 30 residents after they had allegedly robbed a couple

Both Bustamante and Garcia appear to try and protect each other from the baying crowd.

At one point, García receives a blow to the head while he tries to shield his alleged accomplice.

The clip shows the group appearing to swipe at the suspects with the very same knives they'd managed to wrestle off couple, before the video started.